Internal-combustion engine.



B. KRMER.- INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED IAN. I8. 1913.

1,143,408., Patented June 15, 1915.

antenna are@ een i# il KRMER, OF GHAIRLOTTENBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNGR, TO GENERAL EEECTBC COMPANY, A CORPOEAJTION OF NEW YGRK.

INTERNALCOMBU'STION ENGINE.

Application led January le, 1913. Serial No. 742,827.

T al? whom it may concern: I

Beit known that l', BERNHARD' KRMER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Charlottenburg, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improve* vments in Internal-Combustion Engines, of

which the following is ar specilieation.

The present invention relates to internal combustion engines in which fuel is introduced into the combustion chamber either by a pump, a jet of compressed air, or by a combination of both.

Further and more specifically my invention relates to engines in which each charge of fuel is introduced into ay body of air whose temperature has been raisedV by compression to a value above the igniting temperatuie of the fuel. 1n such engines where the diameter of the cylinder is large because of the large amount of power they are called upon to deliver, ditiiculty is experienced in distributing the fuel uniformly through the combustion chamber. That is to say, in some parts of the chamber (there will be no fuel, or not enough to combine with the air to form the proper mixture, while in other parts there will be too, much to l'properly combine with the air. In this connection it is to'be noted that the time interval in which the fuel can be distributed to form a uniform mixture is exceedingly brief.

My invention has for its object to overcomel the objection above noted and to so arrange the parts that a proper and substantially uniform mixture will be obtained at all times.

Tn the accompanying drawin which is illustrative of my invention, Figure 1 is a l vertical, section of an internal combustion engine hav' cylinder; Fi 2 is a cross section of the same talien in a p ane between theo posed ends of the istons; Fig. 3 is a similar section of a modi "ed arrangement, and Fig. 4 is a further modification. A l

5' indicates a cylinder of anysuitable con` structionA having pistons Grand 7. As shown, the engine is of the'vertical cylinder type but said cylinders can be arranged horizontally ory at any other angle if desired. ,I The cylinder is provided with 'a water jacket 8 of any suitable' coris'truction.` The up er part of the cylinder extended to fornli a gide 9 A j is attached to the upper piston. This meinng opposed pistons in the same Y for the cross-head member which ber is connected by side rods- 11 with the crank 12 on the main shaft. The lower fnston is connected` with' the crank 13,0n the main shaft by the connecting rod 14. rthe cranks 12 and 13 are displaced in this instance by 180 degrees.

Each of the pistons is provided withv a curved cut-away portion 15 to forni' a recess or pocket. This recess terminates in the planeof the'endv of the'vpiston and also opens into the bore of the cylinder so that the wall of the cylinder cooperates with the curved wall of the recess to form a combustion chamber 15a. As shown' the recess inthe lower piston registers with that in the upper piston thereby forming a combustion chamber which has one aren shaped' surface viewed in elevation and a second arc shaped surface formedv by the cylinder wall when viewedy in plan. i

Fuel is introduced into the combustion chamber by the injector 16' which may be of anyy suitable construction, said injector receiving' its supply of :fuel from the pipe 17., the latter communicating with a fuel pump, not shown. The fuelmay be injected solely by the pump' or by a blast of compressed air in a manner well understood'. The portion of the cylinder immediately surrounding the injector may with adi'rantagev be cut away, as indicated at 18, to slightly enlarge the combustion chamber. The injector may discharge fuel directly into the combustion chamber oilit may be provided with a hemisphe'ical' flame plate 19 containing a plu.- rality ofv radially displaced' orifices which serveto distribute the fuel uniform-ly in the combustion chamber. I y

The cylinder .is provided. with exhaust Orts; 2 and air admitting or scavenging ports 211. These ports are preferably lsol arj `ranged that they arel tangential to the curved. surface v of the recess as". to facilitate the p gases on the one hand, an the intlpbduction of scavenging' air on the other. Qheyangular relation or position of these ports will naturally be governed by the -eurvature of the Vnitaway portion or portions o the piston. .v v y in rig. 2 is shown the ipwer piston` 7. havfour cut-awayprtions 15 which are an'g'ul'arly displa'ced from` each' other by 90 de rees. In t 'isca's'e four injectors are 'provi ed' each' connecting with its fuel pipe.

inthe piston so passa' l' of the exhaust reo 'to be more satisfactory In Fig. 3 is shown a slight modication of the invention wherein three fuel injectors are provided. The injectors on the left hand side of the piston discharges into the same combustion chamber 22 while the injector on the right hand side discharges into a combustion chamber which is composed of two parts 23 and 24 with a pointed partition 25 between. The combustion chambers 22, 23 and 24 are of the same general character as that previously described. The fuel on leaving the injector 1G is divided by the partition 25, one portion entering the chamber 23 and the other entering the chamber 24. This arrangement further serves to distribute the fuel uniformly throughout the combustion chamber.

In Fig. 4 is shown a slight modification wherein the combustion chamber 26 is hemispherical in form. This chamber is particularly well adapted for the use of a hemispherical flame plate 19, the peripheral surface of the llame plate and the curved wall of the recess being struck from the same center. ,This arrangement further requires that the scavenging air port 21 and the exhaust port 2O shall be perpendicular to the axis `of the cylinder so that they will be tangential to the curved wall of the cornbustion chamber. It is to be noted that the distance between the end of the injector and the curved wall of the combustion chamber and the distance between the peripheral surface of the llame plate and the curved wall of the combustion chamber is made small measured in a radial direction, so that the fuel issuing from the injector or flame plate will readily enter all parts of the chamber in order to cause a uniform and thorough mixing of the fuel with the compressed air contained in said chamber. Under some circumstances it is possible to omit the cutaway portions from one of the pistons but as a general proposition it would be found to have these recesses in both of the pistons.

It is to be noted that the adjacent ends of the pistons are flat and that when in the inner position very little space is left between them. It is so small in fact that it does not form any real part of the combustion chamber when the pistons are as shown l pressures in the said in Fig. 1. Of course a small amount of fuel may enter this spaceand combine with the highly compressed air therein to form a combustible mixture. Roughly speaking, the cubical contents of the several small` combustion chambers should be equal to onetwelfth of the piston displacement. Owing to said small space between the pistons, the chambers will be equalized. The burning products of combustion act of course on the entire surface of the pistons to force them apart.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof;

but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and

that the invention can be carried out by other means.

l/Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure y Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder, a piston located therein which is cut-away at its inner end to form a plurality of recesses that open into the cylinder space and cope'rate with the wall thereof to form combustion chambers, and separate means for introducing fuel .into each of said recesses.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder, a piston located therein having parts of its inner end and side cut away at a plurality of spaced points to form recesses, which recesses coperate with the wall of the cylinder to form combustion chambers, and a fuel injector associated with each chamber.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder, oppositely moving pistons located therein, each of said pistons having a part of its inner end and side cut-away to form a recess, the recesses in the two pistons registering and combining with the cylinder wall to form a combustion chamber when the pistons are at the inner ends of their strokes, and an injector for introducing fuel into-the chamber, which is located centrally thereof.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder, oppositely moving pistons located therein, each tons having a part of its inner end and side cut-away to form a. plurality of recesses, the recesses in the two pistons registering and combining with the cylinder wall to form combustion chambers when the pistons are at the inner ends of their strokes, an injector for introducing fuel into each chamber of said piswhich is located centrally, thereof, and a" flame plate located at the discharge end of the injectors for distributing the fuel uniformly in said combustion chambers.Y

5. In an internal i combustion engine, the comblnation of a cylinder, a piston located Aleo recesses coperate with the Wall of the cylinder to form a plurality of substantlally equally spaced combustion chambers, and a fuel injector associated with each chamber. 155

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of December, 1912.

Witnesses GURVY WIMSET, HARRY LEHMANN. 

